Almost every new South Asian parent I know has named their child based on how the name will be pronounced in white Western society. I eliminated 1000s of names for this reason. This is what it looks like to have a dominant culture shape your every move. Our children’s very names.
Tip: If you're not sure how to pronounce a name (this happens to me on the regular seeing patients) just say, "I'm sorry. How do you pronounce your name?" - while this may feel uncomfortable, it shows you're willing to prioritize someone else's dignity over your own comfort.
Some have asked why people don't just name their kids whatever they want. This is because we inherently know the power the dominant group holds - one small extensively studied example is how names on identical resumes determine rate of callbacks: utoronto.ca/news/applying-…
Spoiler alert: Those with clearly racialized, non-white names were less likely to get callbacks with identical resumes, including at openly 'pro-diversity' companies. 'Whitening' resumes to increase callbacks is a practice some feel compelled to engage in, because it works.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
